Capone

Capone, born Kiam Akasi Holley, is an American rapper from Queens, New York City, best known as one half of the East Coast hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga alongside N.O.R.E. His gravelly delivery and street-hardened lyricism became a defining voice of the Queensbridge and broader Queens hip hop sound in the late 1990s.

Capone served time in jail during and after the release of C-N-N's debut album The War Report, a classic of the era, which affected his ability to fully participate in promoting it. After his release, he reunited with N.O.R.E. for the duo's second album, The Reunion, though he was incarcerated again shortly afterward, limiting his output as a solo artist over the following years.

Outside the duo, Capone built a smaller solo catalog, including tracks like «Streets Favorite» and «The Manual», and gained mainstream exposure when his 2004 single «I Need Speed» was featured on the soundtrack to EA's video game Need for Speed Underground 2. His collaborations with fellow New York artists, including Raekwon on «Chitty Chitty Bang Bang», reflect his standing within the Queens and Wu-Tang-adjacent hip hop circles of the era.